Valley Heritage Market to open at Alternatives’ Whitin Mill

Thursday

Jul 30, 2009 at 6:00 AM

By Susan Spencer CORRESPONDENT

Blackstone Valley residents have even more opportunities to “buy local” this summer. Blackstone Valley Heritage Markets, locally organized open-air farmers and artisans markets, are springing up at several of the area’s historically significant locations. On Aug. 2, Alternatives Unlimited Inc.’s Whitin Mill plaza, overlooking the Mumford River at 60 Douglas Road in Whitinsville, will be the fourth site to offer homegrown wares on a weekly basis, operating from noon to 3 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 27.

Other Blackstone Valley Heritage Markets include Douglas Farmers Market at the E.N. Jenckes Store Museum, open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays; Grafton Farmers Market on the Common, open 2 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays; and Daniels Farmstead at Southwick Hill in Blackstone, open noon to 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of the month through September.

“The idea for Blackstone Valley Heritage Markets came out of a group of people from historic sites that developed the goal of promoting agriculture, artists and local goods, while at the same time bringing people to the historic sites,” said Blackstone Valley Heritage Markets Coordinator Beckley Alley Gaudette. “It’s nurturing economic development and community-building. That’s a perfect connection with the mission of Alternatives.”

Thomas S. Saupe, Alternatives’ director of community outreach, said, “It’s part of our integration of people with disabilities into the community.” People served by Alternatives, who are adults with psychiatric or developmental disabilities, will help staff the market stands.

The Alternatives Heritage Market will feature fresh produce from Foppema’s Farm in Northbridge and Lazy Acres Farm in Grafton. While the wet, cool June was tough on farmers, Ms. Gaudette said, “The berries seem to do well in the rain and there should be local corn, a full array of peppers and squashes.”

The Whitin Mill plaza will be filled with arts and entertainment, as well. Heather E. Charron, an intern at Alternatives and market project coordinator, said lettering artist Maria Thomas, Pamela White Murphy and other artists will sell their creative work.

Presentations on such topics as healthy pets and Blackstone Valley history will add to the cultural activities.

Singer-songwriter Joshua Briggs will perform Aug. 2 and pianist MacKenzie Mazur will perform Sept. 13, just two of the talented area residents whose music will accompany the market atmosphere.

“I love the fact that it’s outdoors, and the live music is great,” Ms. Charron said.

If it rains, the market and entertainment will carry on inside the Whitin Mill’s Singh Performance Center and Riverview Room.

Ms. Gaudette said the Alternatives Heritage Market is open to all sorts of creative people with creative goods who would like to contribute homemade products for sale or provide cultural entertainment.

In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, the market will sell honey, soap, flowers, baked goods from The Daily Bread bakery café in Whitinsville and prepared food from Uxbridge First Night committee. The only farm products it can’t sell are meat, dairy or alcohol. The market is geared to smaller producers, Ms. Gaudette said. “The larger farms are going to Boston or Worcester. We’re entertaining small farms that aren’t going to travel far to get their goods to market.”

“It’s almost literally homegrown,” Mr. Saupe added.

The Alternatives Heritage Market is sponsored by ValleyCAST (Culture, Arts, Science Together), a regional network seeking to cultivate arts and culture in the Valley, the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and Alternatives.

For more information, visit www.blackstonevalleyheritagemarkets.org. If you’d like to participate as a seller or entertainer in the Alternatives market, contact Mr. Saupe at (508) 234-6232, Ext. 302.